Analyzing Athletic Club’s Transfer Business and Why Robert Navarro is a Potential Game-changer

All things considered, it has been a fairly quiet transfer window for Athletic Club so far. They’ve loaned out backup goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala to Valencia and allowed Javi Marton and Benat Gerenabarrena to join second-tier sides Eibar and Castellon, respectively. Club icon Oscar de Marcos has retired, whilst Unai Nunez has returned to Celta de Vigo following the completion of his loan.

In terms of incomings, however, there hasn’t been a great deal of business, with one of their major signings being the fact that they have kept hold of star winger Nico Williams despite interest from the biggest teams in the continent. Their only official signing has been right winger Robert Navarro, who has arrived from Mallorca.

Robert Navarro was essential last season in Mallorca’s pursuit of European football; however, he joined with just a one-year contract with the idea of joining Athletic Club this summer on a free transfer. In this article, we will be looking at Navarro’s performances this season and how he may fit into Athletic Club.

Name: Robert Navarro Muñoz

Position: Right Winger/ Attacking Midfielder/ Left Winger

Country: Spain

Age: 23

Height: 178cm

Preferred Foot: Right

Context: Robert Navarro went through the academies of Osasuna, Barcelona, and Monaco until Real Sociedad decided to spend €6 million on him in 2019. He joined Real Sociedad’s first team in 2022, and after just one year, went on loan to Cádiz, and that summer, last summer, Mallorca invested €850k for his services.

Data

Radar chart of Robert Navarro. (FBref, 2025).

In this chart, we can observe that Robert Navarro is very good when it comes to 1vs1 situations, ranking highly for successful take-ons and their success rate, and carries into the final third, which shows he is very good with the ball at his feet. Furthermore, he is above average for both progressive carries and progressive passes, which means that he has the ability to progress the ball, which is an asset for possession-based teams.

In addition, he ranks highly in ball recoveries and tackles + interceptions, which indicates he is a disciplined player and is determined to not only press but also defend in a low block. However, these numbers may be influenced by Mallorca’s style of play, given that they are the 7th team with the least possession.

Nonetheless, when it comes to his decision-making in the final third, apart from being above average for shot-creating actions after a pass or a take-on, he ranks poorly for npxG+ xAG, as well as passes and crosses into the penalty area. This is definitely an area where he needs to improve; however, this is also due to the context of his club, as Mallorca were 15th when it comes to xG generated, with just above 1 expected goal per match on average.

Heatmap of Robert Navarro. (Sofascore, 2025).

This image tells us that Robert Navarro has played on both wings this season, which indicates versatility, which is a great asset. Furthermore, we can see that he not only hugs the touchline but is also present in more central areas, receiving the ball between the lines.

On the Ball

From the video footage, we can see that Robert Navarro is a great player on the ball and has a high football IQ, knowing when to take on his opponent and when to keep possession, which makes him an important player in build-up phases.

For instance, in this moment, he has a 1vs1 situation; however, there are few players near him, and losing the ball would leave his team vulnerable. So, instead of taking his player on, he decides to pass the ball to a midfielder who can then switch the play.

However, when he sees the opportunity, he seizes it, taking on his marker, usually moving inside with the ball to then switch the play or combine with players nearby. 

Nonetheless, at times when he successfully takes on a player or two, he can get carried away attempting difficult passes, usually long balls either behind the defense or to the opposing wing, which usually end in losing possession.

In more advanced phases of play, Robert Navarro likes to appear both between the lines, leaving space for the full back to cover the wing, or on the wing. When he stays on the wing, he is able to use his great 1vs1 ability to take on defenders and generate opportunities via crosses or combining with other teammates.

On the other hand, when he receives between the lines, he has the ability to turn and face the defense to then play killer passes to the full-back behind the defense or a midfielder entering the box.

Off the Ball

As mentioned previously, Robert Navarro is a very intelligent player and knows where to position himself to receive the ball in space. Hence why he is given freedom to move inside or stay out wide, depending on how he sees fit.

When he is in a more centered and advanced position, he likes to underlap the full backs on the wing to receive in space for a cutback, or, as shown previously, he also knows when to stay put to receive between the lines.

When his team is out of possession, Robert Navarro is a disciplined player, though, at times, he has an eye on the opposition goal rather than on his goal, which makes him stay further up the pitch. Nonetheless, this is probably due to the manager’s tactics, as he is one of their best players on the counter given his ability to drive the ball forward.

However, in low block situations, he helps the full back and does not tend to get beaten often, as he is more conservative rather than aggressive, which allows him to be well-positioned.

Overall, Robert Navarro is a great player who is very intelligent on and off the ball and is able to progress the ball through his dribbling while also making dangerous passes in the final third, and being a relatively disciplined player out of possession. Nonetheless, the only thing he is missing is the ability to produce or score goal-scoring opportunities. 

Athletic Club

When analysing Athletic Club’s wingers with more than 800 minutes this season:

Radar charts of Álex Berenguer, Nico Williams, and Iñaki Williams. (FBref, 2025).

In this chart, we can observe that the three players have excellent decision-making in the final third, with Berenguer and Iñaki Williams ranking highly for npxG + xAG, while Nico Williams is excellent at generating shot-creating opportunities both through passes and after take-ons.

Furthermore, Nico Williams has shown he is excellent when it comes to taking on players, as although his success rate for take-ons is low, this is due to the volume of take-ons that he attempts. Moreover, he has high values for carries into the penalty area, carries into the final third, and progressive carries.

Meanwhile, Berenguer and Iñaki are not as good in these departments, though Iñaki is able to play passes and crosses into the penalty area frequently, while Berenguer’s numbers may be a bit misleading, as he has played many minutes as an attacking midfielder this season rather than on the wing.

For next season, Berenguer, Iñaki Williams, and Álvaro Djaló, who was signed for a hefty price last summer and has had limited game time, will stay next season. However, the most recent reports state that Barcelona is going to pay the release clause of Nico Williams this summer, so he may be absent from Athletic Club’s squad next season.

In my opinion, this signing is great as he is an excellent player who can come off the bench and change matches, especially given that they will be playing in the Champions League next season, meaning that they will need squad depth. Moreover, he is a versatile player who can play on both wings or through the middle, which makes him a valuable asset. Also, with his age and with a more offensive context, we may see him improve his goal-producing output.

By: Juan Fernandez Valencia / @ScoutLaLiga1

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Denis Doyle / Getty Images